Just another WordPress.com site

Archive for April, 2016

We are very much looking forward to welcoming back the National Eisteddfod of Wales to Abergavenny. Croeso Eisteddfod Genedleothol Cymru

On the Opening Sunday of the Eistedfodd our Preacher at the main morning service will be Dr Rowan Williams. The Bi-lingual Service will be sung by the Priory Choir. At 11am each day there will be service in the CYTUN Tent on the Maes, we expect our Vicar will lead that service on one day. WE will be part of the team of Hosts serving Tea and Coffee in the CYTUN Tent on Tuesday- come and see us!

In conjunction with Abergavenny History Society visitors to the town can go on a tour of the Priory led by Welsh language tour guides, during the Eisteddfod week.

The Priory Church and Centre are likely to be the venues for some competition ‘prelims’, so we will be part of the ‘greater Maes’.

Jesus calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and not just the ones next door or at the end of the street.

Christian Aid Week unites over 20,000 churches to put this love in to action.

We will be collecting at the Market on the Tuesday and hosting a Quiz Night with Fish & Chips at the Priory Centre on the Friday. Plans are in the early stage son planning to be part of the Big Brekkie.

We hosted the Christian Aid Head of Office for Wales to preach here during Lent.

The Archbishop of York, The Most Revd John Sentamau recently visited the Barley Studios and observed work on the Jesse Memorial Window.

L to R: Helen Whittaker, Keith Barley and The Archbishop of York

The Window’s Designer, Helen Whittaker said,

The Archbishop of York seemed very interested in the project.

Helen at work on the window

Helen Whittaker has won several awards including a commission through the Stevens Competition run by the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass. Helen is a visiting tutor for the Prince of Wale’s School of Traditional Arts. Her MA thesis was on Jesse Trees.

The Window is being commissioned in Memory of the late Dean Jeremy Winston. Fr Jeremy Winston was Vicar of Abergavenny for 18 years before being appointed Dean of the Cathedral in Newport. He sadly died months after being installed as Dean.

We expect the Window to be installed in the Priory Church in Mid-June and to be dedicated in early July.

In May we welcome back the Bishop of St Helena as our preacher for Ascension Day and on May 8th the ACS General Secretary.

The Bishop of St Helena

Bishop Richard of St Helena will be the Celebrant and Preacher at the Ascension Day Eucharist (May 5th) in the grounds of the Holywell Community House. There will be no Eucharist celebrated in any of the Abergavenny Anglican Churches that day as we come together as one family in this one place. “It is great to have Bishop Richard with us on the Feast of the Ascension, not only because he is an old friend, but because his Diocese covers Ascension Island.” says Canon Mark Soady, Vicar, welcoming the news.

Three days later we will welcome back Fr Darren Smith SSC, The General Secretary of the Additional Curates Society as our Preacher at the 11am Choral Eucharist on Sunday, May 8th.

Fr Darren on his visit to St Mary’s Priory in 2015

Fr Mark said, “We are very grateful for the support we receive from the ACS as a Parish and as the Holywell Community . ACS play a vital role in nurturing and supporting vocations”.

Details of the Parish Holiday in June have been announced. The Holiday is a three night stop over in Norwich with day visits to Walsingham and Sandringham.

In this the 90th Birthday year of HM The Queen where better to go and visit then The Queen’s Norfolk Retreat.

Described by King George the V as

Dear old Sandringham, the place I love better than anywhere in the world.”

it is the private home of four generations of British monarchs since 1862. The house, set in 24 hectares of stunning gardens, is perhaps the most famous stately home in Norfolk and is at the heart of the 8,000-hectare Sandringham Estate, 240 hectares of which make up the woodland and heath of the Country Park, open to the public free of charge every day of the year.

We will visit the House, Gardens & museum, as well as spending time at the Church of St Mary Magdelene where the Royal family Celebrate Christmas each year.

Day 3 we will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

We will attend the Mid-day Mass and following Lunch, Sprinkling at the Holy Well. There will be time for quiet contemplation at the Shrine or in the ruined Abbey.